When an athlete is involved in training or competition, stopping to drink is not practical. Accordingly, athletes commonly carry liquids in some form of container from which they may drink as they train or compete. For example, bicyclists often carry one or more water bottles which are removably mounted in cages fixed to the bicycle frame. Some bicyclists (or other athletes) carry larger volumes of drinking fluids in back-pack style carriers.
Such back-pack style carriers, of which the CAMELBAK.TM. carrier (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,833) is exemplary, typically incorporate a flexible, non-porous drinking liquid container called a "bladder". A shoulder harness fixed to the bladder is worn to support the bladder on the bicyclist's back. By sucking on a mouthpiece fitted to a flow line which extends into the bladder, the bicyclist can draw drinking fluid from the bladder into his/her mouth on demand.
Prior art back-pack style carriers are subject to a number of disadvantages. For example, since the shoulder harness is commonly worn outside the bicyclist's clothing, there is a possibility that the entire apparatus (which can weigh ten or more pounds, when filled with liquid) may shift in position or become dislodged entirely, should either or both of the shoulder harness straps loosen or break during vigorous cycling. This could in turn adversely affect the bicyclist's balance, posing a potential hazard to the bicyclist and/or persons nearby.
Prior art back-pack style carriers also tend to be uncomfortable: the shoulder support straps transfer the weight of the heavy liquid-filled bladder to the bicyclist's shoulders in a manner which can restrict blood circulation in the arms, causing a loss of feeling in the arms and hands. Further, prior art externally worn back-pack style carriers can contribute to aerodynamic drag. The externally worn back-pack style carrier also tends to obstruct onlookers' view of logos or other artwork on the bicyclist's jersey. Unobstructed exposure of logos and proprietary artwork can be a condition of sponsorship under which an athlete participates in an event.
Because most prior art back-pack style carriers are thermally isolated from the athlete's body by the clothing over which the carrier is worn, cool liquid in the bladder has minimal cooling effect on the athlete's body during warm weather conditions. Additionally, because a back-pack style carrier can cover a substantial portion of the athlete's back, there can be a tendency for the athlete's body to overheat during warm weather conditions, potentially reducing performance. Conversely, in cold weather conditions, the externally worn back-pack style carrier can be exposed to temperatures sufficiently low to freeze the liquid within the bladder, rendering the apparatus inoperable.
Some athletes wear prior art back-pack style carriers beneath a jersey or jacket. Although this can somewhat alleviate the aforementioned thermal problems, other problems remain and/or arise. For example, the jersey, jacket etc. must be loose fitting, which can be uncomfortable. Further, the jersey, jacket etc. must be removed if the bladder is to be refilled. That can be inconvenient, especially if the user is competing in a timed event.
In an effort to address the foregoing disadvantages the art has evolved somewhat. For example, Louis Garneau Sports Inc. of St. Augustin-De-Desmaures, Quebec, Canada markets a cycling jersey having an integral dorsal water pack under the trademark HYDROWEAR. In the HYDROWEAR jersey, a liquid-filled bladder is contained within a pocket formed in the back of the jersey. However, the heavy, unconstrained, liquid-filled bladder settles to the base of the pocket, forming an uncomfortable mass which pulls the front of the jersey rearwardly and downwardly. This can make breathing difficult, as the jersey is drawn tightly against the athlete's neck. The unconstrained bladder can also shift in position within the pocket, causing discomfort and/or imbalance. If the front of the jersey is unzipped even partially, the weight of the liquid-filled bladder can cause the zipper to open and pull the jersey off the athlete's shoulders. Consequently, prior art jerseys having integral liquid-filled bladders must we worn quite tightly to prevent movement of the bladder. This can be uncomfortable for many athletes, and does not solve the aforementioned breathing difficulty problem.
The present invention addresses the foregoing problems.